What To Consider When Buying A Portable AC Unit
The best way to cool a home is with central air. However, there can be many reasons for why this might not be practical and why you may instead need to cool your home with a portable air conditioner. With many portable AC units on the market, it is necessary to choose the one that will cool your space the most effectively at the lowest cost.
BTUs
The degree to which your portable air conditioning unit cools an area is based in BTUs. The more BTUs, the larger the area that the air conditioner will be able to cool. You will need 8,000 for 200 square feet, while you will need 14,000 BTUs for 500 square feet. However, the more space that the unit cools, the more expensive it will be. If you want to cool your entire home, a different type of unit may be better. Residential cooling services can help you assess the size you need.
ERR
Another cost to consider is the amount of electricity that will be used by the unit. If you are worried about how much the unit will cost in terms of energy efficiency, look at its Energy Efficiency Ratio (ERR). This is an assessment of how many BTUs are generated for each watt of power. The higher the ERR, the more energy-efficient the unit.
Water Disposal
Decide whether you would like hookups for a drainage hose or if you would like a reservoir that must be emptied periodically. Some units will evaporate much of the water as exhaust, which reduces the number of times that you will need to dump water from the reservoir.
Noise
Portable AC units generate noise. They are louder than other units because the entire body is housed within your living space. However, some units are quieter than others. Look up the decibel level to determine how loud a particular unit is.
Special Features
There are some portable AC units that double as dehumidifiers and heaters. This can be beneficial because it saves the amount of space that needs to be taken up and also saves you from purchasing a portable heater.
Size
Some portable units are larger than others, which can make it more difficult to move them. For those who only intend to use the portable unit for one room, this isn't a problem. However, if you plan to drag your AC from the living room to the bedroom, decide how much weight you are willing to carry around.
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